THE WAR

Back in the castle…

"Your chamber is prepared, Your Grace," Daemir says as the meeting ends. Your father gives him a nod and walks out, leaving you and your siblings in the room. You have so many questions to ask. Who is this enemy? Why does your father consider war to be the only option?

"I assume war is inevitable," Richard murmurs. Atheris slowly nods her head, eyes focused on the empty table.

"Political meetings never end well," Freya sighs. "We should've seen this coming."

"Let us not forget that we have many allies," Matteo attempts to comfort her. "We're strong enough to defeat any army."

"The matter is that we have no idea who they are." Richard looks up at his uncle. "We don't know what to expect and it's terrifying."

"I'm certain we will find out," Matteo sighs. "But now, we have to make sure all of our allies will help us when they come."

"I don't trust Queen Lena," Atheris comments. "I wager she's already planning to join the enemy."

"We have her brother," Richard points out. "She cares about him. If she didn't, she would have already betrayed us in many ways. Besides, it's her chance to prove her loyalty."

"I agree." Matteo nods. "I do not think she's a threat as long as we have Prince Xavier."

"Alright." Sir Arnold steps forward. "Let us return to our chambers. We can discuss tomorrow."

You and Sir Arnold walk through the corridor in silence. You can feel his gaze on you sometimes. You keep your eyes on the ground, thinking about the upcoming war.

"We still have much time to prepare," he says. "The war will not happen anytime soon. We don't need to be nervous."

"When do you think they will attack?" you ask him, though he's in the dark as much as you. Considering he's seen war before, you assume he has knowledge.

"In three or four years, perhaps?" he predicts. "We have much time. Being nervous and scared will stop our minds from working. We have to be cautious and smart."

You and the knight stop by your door. He stares down at you with a smile on his face, reaching out to caress your cheek.

"You will be one of the strongest warriors by then," he says. "I'll make sure of it."

Without waiting for your response, he walks away with slow steps. You enter your room and close the door before lying down on your bed.

Everything will be different from now on, you realize. War is coming. Your people will be nervous and frightened. Your training will be harsher. Alliances will be questioned.

You will be ready.

This morning is not like the other mornings. You don't see a look of excitement on your siblings' faces anymore. The war is destroying happiness even before it comes.

You walk along the corridor, searching for your father or siblings. You pause when you notice an open door. Peeking inside, you realize it's a library. It's much smaller than the ones in your castle. How many books are there, anyway?

In the corner of the library, there stands Lord Daemir. He's flipping the pages of a book, searching for something. His movements are slow and gentle. You put a cloak over your shoulder and make your way outside. No matter how many clothes you wear, you're still shivering. You can't imagine living your life in such a cold place.

"Too cold?" an unfamiliar feminine voice mocks you. You turn to find a girl staring at you. Her face, however, is not unfamiliar at all.

"You're Lord Daemir's twin." You remember seeing her in the portrait.

"My name is Revna," she says, annoyed. "Lady Revna."

Since they are both the same age, you wonder how Daemir was chosen as a leader. Did people elect him? Or was he born earlier than her?

"I am—"

"I know who you are, Prince Amah," Revna interrupts you."You're as rude as your brother," you sigh. She grins, looking you up and down with mocking eyes.

"Oh, I'm much ruder than him, prince." She holds her head high, as if having bad manners is something to be proud of. "Did the meeting go well?" Revna asks, pulling an apple from her small sack. She bites into the fruit, her gaze boring into yours.

"We talked about the upcoming war." You shrug. She stops chewing for a moment, lowering her gaze.

"War?" she echoes. "Who is the enemy?"

"We don't know yet," you answer. She frowns and continues chewing, staring ahead.

"Revna," Daemir calls out. He walks closer to his sister, eyeing the half-eaten apple in her hand.

"It's nice to see you, brother," Revna says, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"Your siblings are in the main hall," Daemir informs you, ignoring his sister. "You may want to join them."

"May I join them as well?" Revna grins. "I'd be honored to meet the heirs of Rhivenia."

Why does her every word sounds like sarcasm?

"No," Daemir responds. "You will come with me. I want to have a word."

Throwing a last glance at you, he turns and makes his way inside. Revna sighs and follows him, leaving you alone in the cold.When you enter the main hall, you find your siblings discussing war with their mentors and Matteo. They seem so focused on the subject that none of them notices you.

"If something happens to King Charles before the war, we will be in great danger," Sir Arnold says. It's the first time you've see him worried. His calm expression is completely gone.

"We have four strong and clever heirs." Matteo points at your siblings. Then he glances at Freya before adding, "Three, perhaps."

"We are not ready to rule a kingdom," Atheris murmurs. "Not yet."

"Why are we talking about this?" Freya groans. "Our father is alive and well. He will not leave us anytime soon."

"We can never be sure of that." Matteo shrugs. "We have to prepare ourselves for any outcome."

"I don't want to think about that possibility." Freya shakes her head.

"When are we leaving?" Richard changes the subject.

"In an hour," Sir Locke answers. Everyone leaves to explore the castle and keep themselves busy with various activities. You peer at the door, thinking about what you want to do. Revna's movements are fast and clean as she swings her sword in the air. Though her attacks don't seem strong, her swiftness is enough to distract the enemy while assaulting him with deadly blows.

"I see you," she mutters, turning her body towards you. She continues swinging her sword with one hand while the other one is placed on her hip. "I can do better," you comment. She stops swinging her sword and puts it back in its place before moving closer to you.

"Anyone could do better if they had a mentor like Sir Arnold," she says. "Such a shame not everyone has such privilege." "Daemir has ordered our army to increase the training sessions," Revna says. "It seems war will come sooner than I expected."

"If only if we knew who we're up against," you sigh. "We don't even know their reason."

"I'm certain your father has hurt some people in the past." She rolls her eyes. "He doesn't have a good reputation, you know that." "He made the right choices as a leader," you defend him. She rolls her eyes, shaking her head slightly.

"He acted like a coward when he executed his brother," she says. "Everyone makes mistakes. Your father is not special, prince."

"Amah." Richard's voice interrupts your conversation with Revna. "It's time to leave Everyone rides their horses in silence, not even bothering to complain about the cold anymore. None of you has seen war before except for your father and the mentors. You're sure that Sir Arnold will train you properly since he has fought in The War of Three Brothers.

"We have to visit the kingdom of Asinea," your father informs everyone. "We must ensure Queen Lena is loyal to us."

"Will you take the heirs with you?" Matteo asks him.

"No need," the king responds. "They will stay in Rhivenia and train as much as they can with their mentors. I will take fifty good men. You will come with me as well."

"Of course." Matteo nods respectfully

"We have many allies on our side," Atheris says. "We have nothing to fear."

"So does our enemy." Richard shrugs. "They wouldn't dare to attack Rhivenia if they didn't have much power. They rely on something."

"Or maybe, they are not clever," Atheris argues. "Just like our uncles. They declared war on our father and received what they deserved."

"That's the matter, Atheris," your half-brother protests. "If they're still willing to attack Rhivenia after the War of Three Brothers, they really believe in their power."

"We will learn their strategy once we know who they are," Atheris sighs.

"What do you think their reason is?" Richard asks. "Why do they want to attack so badly?

"Because they want power," you comment. "It's the reason for almost all wars. Everyone wants power."

"I think it's not the only reason," Richard disagrees. "Why wouldn't they enlarge their territory in the South instead of attacking the North?"

"We will find out sooner or later," Atheris says

Meanwhile…

"Queen Isabelle." The soldier bows his head before handing the letter to the queen. "It's from your brother."

"Dismissed," she orders him. As the soldier leaves, Isabelle quickly opens the letter and starts reading it.

"What does it say?" Queen Alvena asks, noticing the look of horror on the other queen's face.

"War is coming," Isabelle speaks in a whisper. Alvena's eyes widen as she grabs the letter and reads it herself.

"Three years," she says, looking at Isabelle. "We have at least three years to prepare."

"I'm certain Charles knows what he's doing," Isabelle comments. She believes in him.

"Queen Lena will take advantage of it," Alvena hisses. "If she sides with them, it's over."

"She will not," Isabelle argues. "We have her brother."

"What if she has been waiting for this moment? What if she doesn't care about her brother at all?"

Alvena's words put fear in Isabelle's heart. She has never thought about it.

"You think she's willing to sacrifice her brother for power?" Isabelle asks her. It doesn't make any sense. Who would let their brother be killed for a kingdom?

"Sometimes people do terrible things for power." Alvena lets out a heavy sigh. "They realize what they have done when it's too late."

"Just like how you killed my unborn child and left me infertile?" Isabelle spits. She has never said these words directly. She has always used mockery and sarcasm but has never tried to confront her before.

Alvena clenches her jaw hard, not removing her eyes from the letter. She doesn't want to look into the other woman's eyes at this moment. She will forever feel guilt whenever she thinks about what she has done.

"It was never my intention," Alvena whispers, but Isabelle knows that it's not true.

Isabelle makes a disappointed noise. "You wanted power and the king's love so badly that you killed an innocent child. But your evil plan didn't work. Charles never cared about you. You lost him."

"We have more important matters to deal with," Alvena attempts to change the subject. "War is coming."

"And we will be ready," the other queen speaks confidently.

In the castle of Rhivenia…

You can feel the tension in the air as soon as you step inside the walls. Everyone is nervous and thoughtful, wondering how they will handle the war. The last time they saw a war was fourteen years ago. It's not a long period of time at all. It's so early to go through such a terrifying experience again.

On your way to your chamber, your gaze finds Prince Xavier. He's sitting on the bench, painting something on a paper that you assume has been borrowed from Freya. His once clean-shaven face is now covered with a thick growth of black hair. His hair is longer and messier.

It's quite apparent that no one takes care of him. "Xavier," you call out his name. He looks up at you, silently waiting for you to continue. Judging by his bony face, you can tell he has lost much weight.

"You have to eat something," you show concern for him. He tilts his head in surprise when he notices the worry in your tone.

"I'm alright." He waves his hand dismissively and returns his attention to the painting.

"No, you will eat." You grab his arm, making him stand up. He puts the paper on the bench and turns to face you.

"Amah—"

"Come with me," you interrupt before he can argue. He closes his eyes and sighs, silently accepting your help.

You lead him inside the castle. You head towards the kitchen with Xavier. You feel him watch you with curious eyes as you walk. You know he feels humiliated to get help from you. Even if you did nothing, you're still the son of his father's murderer.

Regardless, he follows you without a word, knowing that your decision is final. Nothing he can do or say can change your mind.

"Larne," you call the cook. He rushes to your side and bows his head respectfully. "Prepare a meal for Prince Xavier."

Larne frowns and looks at Xavier, then back to you. Giving you an unsure nod, he goes back to work and starts with the meal. He knows better than to question you. You sit at the table with Xavier. He keeps his gaze fixed on the floor, patiently waiting for the meal to be prepared.

"Will you still keep your promise?" he asks without meeting your gaze. You know which promise he's talking about. Yes," you assure him. "I will keep my promise."

Xavier finally meets your gaze. His brown eyes shine with slight hope. For the first time, he seems to believe you.

"Prince Amah." Larne approaches the table with a plate in his hand. He puts the dish in front of Xavier, eyeing him carefully. He bows his head before you and strides away.

"Eat," you instruct as you notice Xavier's doubt. He sighs and starts cutting the chicken into small pieces.

"Thank you, Amah," he shows his gratitude, putting the piece of meat into his mouth. You look anywhere but him so you don't make him uncomfortable.

"War is coming." You start a conversation to break the awkward silence.

"My sister will be loyal to you as long as I'm alive," Xavier responds, chewing the meat.

"What do you think about the war?" you ask his opinion. Does he have thoughts about the upcoming war? A prediction, perhaps?

"I want your father to die," he says, staring at you while shoving more meat in his mouth. "You cannot blame me." "I don't blame you," you admit. Xavier doesn't respond. Instead, he continues eating his meal quietly. "Thank you," he says again after finishing his meal. He leans back in his chair and lets out a sigh of relief.

"Now you need to bathe and shave." Your following words make him sit straight in his chair.

"Bathe and shave?" he echoes. You nod and rise to your feet, waiting for him to do the same. He stands up without breaking his gaze.

"Larne," you call for the cook. He immediately appears at your side. "Tell Jenny to prepare a bathtub for Xavier."

"A bathtub?" Larne's eyes widen. "Forgive me, but is he not our prisoner?"

"Do what you're told," you scold him. "He's under my protection from now. Let it be known."

"Of course," the cook speaks in a confused tone but follows your order anyway.

"Eat and take a bath anytime you want," you tell Xavier. "If they refuse to take care of you, inform me. Now, I have to go."

He nods his head and offers you a faint but genuine smile. You lie down on your bed with a sigh. Three years, Sir Arnold says. You have at least three years to prepare for the war. It sounds like a long period of time, but time passes so fast.

The war will be here before you know it.

In Freya's chamber…

"Painting again?" Atheris sits beside Freya, who is drawing something on paper as usual.

"Yes," the younger girl replies. Atheris presses her lips together, eyeing the paper. It's unfinished, but she can already tell it's another ship drawing.

"You're really fond of ships, aren't you?" She smiles. Freya nods her head. "If I didn't know you, I would think you're a pirate."

Freya stops her movement. She turns her head to look at her sister. "Are you trying to say only pirates love ships?"

"No, but if you show anyone your drawings, they will assume you're a pirate and attempt to kill you." The older girl shrugs. "Have you forgotten? We don't have a good history with pirates."

She does know that. Long years ago, the former king of Rhivenia was killed by pirates. As enemies used his sudden death as an advantage, the existence of the kingdom was threatened. Luckily, Rhivenians won the war.

Since that day, Rhivenians have seen pirates as aggressors.

"I wish to sleep." Freya dismisses her kindly. Atheris narrows her eyes at her sister but doesn't push her with questions. She gets up and leaves the chamber.

Freya covers her face and weeps.